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About

Now a Papercuts by Joe classic, this picture was taken in the morning light at my studio.

A tree is revealed! Cut from a single sheet of black paper, designs look dramatically different as they're being cut!

Was thrilled to finish this piece without accidentally wrecking its delicate branches before it was safely framed!

Back at work on new papercut projects.

At work cutting Holding Hands, the Papercuts by Joe classic silhouette of a couple holding hands on bikes.

I take pieces of black paper and cut lots of holes in them with a knife. It’s really cool, I swear...

But it’s also harder than it sounds! I use an X-Acto knife to cut all of my pieces from one continuous piece of paper, meaning all parts of the design interconnect. The art of papercutting is meticulous work that requires patience, dexterity and precision—luckily, I also really enjoy it! I hand cut each of my pieces, and I also typically create my designs based on photos I snapped myself, making them one-of-a-kind. I use the highest-quality archival materials to ensure that each piece will last generations.

I have always been interested in papercutting, starting as a little kid by mimicking design books, and eventually developing my own style. My inspirations come from my love for history, architecture, nature, and my native New England. Favoring clean lines, photo-realistic detail and the bold graphic statement of black and white, I aim to put a modern spin on silhouette art, even verging at times on abstraction.

I began selling my work on Etsy in 2007, and was fortunate enough to spend a few years exclusively as a full-time artist. Now I am back at work as a professional archaeologist and live with my wife, Jen, in Boston. My work has been shown in galleries and museums across the country, was featured in the Wall Street Journal, and made history as the first pin on Pinterest, chosen by Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Guild of American Papercutters.

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Shop members

Joe

Owner, Maker, Designer, Master Papercutter

Though I've spent years as a full time artist I'm a professional archaeologist by trade. Now the City Archaeologist of Boston, my passion for papercutting has kept me producing my own distinctive style of this traditional art!

Shop policies

Last updated onFebruary 15, 2015

All of my pieces are inspired by nature, the human form, and architecture. My desire is to create a modern, lasting piece of art that will make a statement on your wall.

The “From” line on the shipping label will read, “J. Bagley,” and will NOT mention my shop name, in case you are keeping the gift a secret.

All pieces are marked DO NOT BEND, and I include a sheet of particle board with the padded envelope, which I PROMISE will prevent anyone from bending the piece. I have not had a single complaint about a piece getting damaged in the mail since I began selling on Etsy in 2007.

Again, I do not take custom design requests. “Custom” includes the addition of text (written or cut) into a pre-existing design in the shop. I am happy to include brief notes to the recipient inside the packaging, but not on the piece itself.

The paper I use is specially made for papercutters. Here is a blog post with all the details and a bunch of photos of the paper: http://papercutsbyjoe.blogspot.com/2010/02/papercutting-tips-guide-to-paper.html

I use X-Acto products, specifically an X-3051 professional swivel knife and traditional #11 knife. More info here: http://papercutsbyjoe.blogspot.com/2010/01/tools-of-trade-knives.html

I use archival adhesive to mount my pieces. I wrote a blog post about an archival adhesive called StudioTac: http://papercutsbyjoe.blogspot.com/2010/02/guide-to-papercutting-adhesive.html

If you have a blog or website and you would like to show my work or feature me, please feel free to use any photo on my site, blog, facebook page, or Etsy store. I just ask that you include at least one link back to my Etsy store or website.